MADISON, Wis.-- For the first time since 2006, Wisconsin has advanced to play in the NCAA round of 16. The 12th-seeded Badgers moved on with a 25-19, 25-18, 25-21 sweep of California on Saturday night in the UW Field House.
For the second consecutive match and just the second time this season, the Badger offense hit better than .400 as a team. Wisconsin recorded a .404 attack percentage (53 kills - 9 errors - 109 attempts), compared to .205 (43-19-117) from the Bears. Even more impressive was that each Wisconsin player hit better than .300 on the night.
Juniors Ellen Chapman and Deme Morales were once again the dynamic duo on offense for Wisconsin, each recording double-figure kills. Chapman led all players with 14 kills while Morales followed with 10. Fellow juniors Dominique Thompson and Courtney Thomas added nine and eight kills, respectively.
Defensively, the Badgers got a stellar performance from their lone senior Annemarie Hickey, who led all players with 18 digs. Wisconsin out-dug Cal 45-38 on the night.
